Jignesh Mevani is already being hailed as the next big dalit leader in the country. As MLA, the articulate former journalist, activist and lawyer, aims to provide a voice to dalits. It remains to be seen what Mevani goes on to achieve. Will he be a flash in the pan or will he tap into dalit angst and change the status quo. Edited excerpts from an interview:
You have been booked for giving provocative speeches in Bhima Koregaon. How do you explain these charges?
I am a practising advocate and now, a lawmaker. So I am fully aware of the provisions of the law. Not a single statement or word from my speeches had an ingredient which could invite such a case. Firstly, I didn’t even visit Bhima-Koregaon. There was an auditorium meeting in Mumbai, and even there I didn’t say a word. I appealed to masses and dalits of Maharashtra to maintain peace. Now, a person who called for peace is facing these charges. This is shocking! If an elected representative is targeted in this manner, one can imagine what will happen to an ordinary citizen. Even Union minister Ramdas Athawale said my speech had nothing which could lead to violence. It is a conspiracy by the BJP government. They are doing it because the triumvirate of Hardik Patel, Alpesh Thakor and Mevani has shattered their confidence by bringing down their seats in Gujarat. My profile is increasing day by day. I am going all over the country. I can sense the anger of the people, dalits, the youth.
What is your take away from the Gujarat elections?
Now the BJP cannot claim to be the great model of development, or that Gujarat is number one in terms of development. Had that been the case then Hardik, Alpesh and I would not have clicked. Farmers and anganwadi workers would not be agitating. Youth and dalits were charged up against the government. The BJP could only form government with a margin of seven seats. It can also be attributed to the way the BSP and the NCP ate into opposition votes, helping them with 15 seats. That’s why they (the BJP) are not celebrating. The only people celebrating my victory in the state are farmers and the dalit community.
During the Gujarat elections, leaders from the opposition campaigned for you. What is your next move? Will you join any party, or start your own?
Right now, I am not thinking about it. My primary focus will be on the state. I want to give justice to my constituency, Vadgam. It will be Vadgam model of development against [Prime Minister Narendra] Modi’s model of development. [I want to] ensure that my organisation—Rashtriya Dalit Adhikar Manch—expands. I will also try to create a nationwide youth campaign, raising the issue of unemployment. It's more about larger public good than personal ambition.
Your activism and politics is centred around dalit rights. How do you view their condition in India at present?
The BJP's economic policies have devastated India's economy. It's not just about the GST and note-ban, but they have changed all labour laws. The BJP government does not have a stand on farmers’ suicide. Because of hindutva ideology, which is primarily Manuvad in the neoliberal era, caste violence against dalits has increased. They played the [President] Ramnath Kovind card to gain the support of the dalits after the Una incident and Rohit Vemula’s death. Dalits were against the BJP and the RSS.
But, the BJP and the RSS say they are doing a lot for the dalits, against casteism and for their integration into the Hindu mainstream.
Dalits don’t want to join their hindutva. They remain silent on Bhima Koregaon. They don’t do much for Una violence victims. Chandrashekhar [Azad] of the Bhim Army was tortured. They don’t see Radhika Vemula’s [Rohit’s mother] tears. Dalits are suffering because of the economic policies. Why not bring in technology so that no one has to go into the gutter [to clean it]? Sanitation workers should be given 7th pay commission benefits.
Narendra Modi is becoming irrelevant. People are more interested in hearing Kanhaiya Kumar and Hardik Patel than Narendra Bhai.
You have targeted Modi, the BJP, and the RSS. You even asked Modi to chose between Manusmriti and the Constitution? Why only them?
Modi is the prime minister of India. He said he is an Ambedkar bhakt. I would like to know his position on social justice. I would like to know his position on annihilation of caste. When Anandiben [Patel] was chief minister, she promised land to dalits. What happened to that? Why is Modi silent on atrocities against dalits?
Is there an upsurge in dalit consciousness across the country?
They are electrified and ready to take to the streets for their rights. They are politically conscious. The kind of support I got was incredible. Even in Vadgam, without any money or infrastructure, we cracked it. It is only because of Muslim-dalit unity.
You have been talking about campaigning in states like Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. What is your strategy?
In these states, I don’t care who wins. My goal is to see the BJP’s defeat. I will be campaigning with people’s movements. Like I won as an independent candidate, I want similar people to win so that issues can be raised.
You recalled your association with Gauri Lankesh. Do you also fear for your own safety?
Gauri was very close to my heart. Whenever I went to Karnataka, even by a late flight, she was always there to pick me up from the airport. She was a firebrand and very upright. There is a risk to my life. The BJP and the sangh can harm me. Dalit groups in Gujarat are worried that I will be targeted. I get threat calls. I have been provided one security guard. I will ask for more security.
Student activists like Kanhaiya Kumar and Umer Khalid were seen with you. Do you identity with their contention that freedom is being curbed in universities?
Youth are agitating. They want modernity, technology and science. They don't want to hear things like what Gujarat CM (Vijay Rupani) has said: “Ram’s arrow and ISRO missiles have same power”, or like the PM's statement on how (Hindu god) Ganesha got the head of an elephant through plastic surgery.
What do you think about prominent dalit leaders like Mayawati?
Mayawati needs to be more proactive. She needs to come to ground zero more often. If she wants to start a dalit movement, then she has to come to streets and dalit bastis. She has to raise issues of exploitation of dalits. I want to meet her. I will raise all these issues with her.
Successive governments have been talking about B.R. Ambedkar. Do you think society has been fair to him. Has his contribution been acknowledged?
Celebrating Ambedkar would be ensuring social justice and democracy. It would be implementing the Constitution in its spirit. It would require engagement at societal level to abolish unaccountability. Some 200 people die in sewers, there is still unaccountability. All political parties have failed them. But the BJP is pro-actively attacking them. They have created a hostile atmosphere in which dalits are subjected to more violence and brutality.
What are your views on reservations?
I always say, first finish caste then remove reservation. The scheduled castes and scheduled tribes are getting reservation, and now the Marathas and the Patels are asking for it. They need to ask what happened to the jobs promised to them.
What are your views on Naxal violence and the government action against them?
I personally believe in following constitutional methods of agitation. I have never even slapped a person. There is always an attempt on the part of the state to dub agitating Muslim youth as terrorists and educated, radical dalit youths as Naxalites.
Whom do you see as your natural ally—the Congress or the Left parties?
I want to be associated with people’s movements, Ambedkarite movements, NGOs, trade unions, farmers’ unions. There should be a massive, broad democratic alliance which has an aspiration to create a political alternative against the BJP and fascist forces. Even other mainstream parties like the BSP, RJD, SP and the Congress should have an alliance. These forces could be fellows in the fight against fascism.
